Hello, I'm a student doing a report on Leeds Crown Court. My Father who grew up in Leeds recalls it being built in the late 70's and he reckons it was built to with stand intense attack such as bombs, considering it's time of construction the main culprits would be the IRA.

This would be a very interesting fact for me to include in my assignment so if anyone has any proof they could provide me it would be most helpful!!! Of course, I would need actual physical proof that I can reference in my report rather than just word of mouth.

I don't think anybody who had the information you seek and with documentary evidence would be likely to risk contravening official secrets legislation by disclosing what must still be confidential security information.

I can give you a bit of background information. Prior to the building of the new Combined Courts building, the Crown Court and before that Leeds Assizes and Sessions courts sat in the Town Hall, as did Leeds Magistrates' Court and one West Riding Magistrates' Court.

All the buildings on what are now the Magistrates' Court and Combined Courts were municipal. The present Magistrates' Court is built on what used to be the local taxation office, which dealt with driving licences, vehicle taxation, property rates and so on. There was also the former Central Fire Station, which additionally housed the police mounted branch. (Once upon a time, the fire brigade was part of the police.) The next building was the police clothing store and garage. By the time the new court buildings were built, the fire station had been relocated to Kirkstall Road, the Mounted Branch to Temple Newsam, the police clothing store to Grace Street at the back of Brotherton House, and the operational police garage to Belle Vue Road. The old garage was retained as lock-up storage for vehicles which had come into police possession and was known as the Bottom Garage, to differentiate it from Belle Vue Road. There was a car park outside the garage, used by police staff working at Brotherton House and the Town Hall Bridewell.

It was the loss of the car park which had the biggest impact on those of us who worked in the city centre when the land was taken over for the building of the new court centre.

I appreciate that this doesn't help with your question, but it's a bit of background info.